1. Field of the Invention.
This invention relates to floor mats, and in particular to a roll-up floor mat with rigid rails.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
A variety of grills, grates, grids and mats for floors have been developed for removing dirt, water and other foreign matter from the footwear of persons walking thereover. Such devices are typically placed adjacent the entrances of structures which are desired to be protected from the intrusion of such foreign matter.
One type of prior art floor grill or grate is adapted to span a pit wherein dirt and debris accumulate and has sufficient integral strength to support persons walking or standing thereon. Such devices may be comprised, for example, entirely of closely-spaced metal bars placed over such a pit and substantially flush with a floor or sidewalk surface. Although such grills are relatively durable and self-cleaning and thus require little attention, the hard surfaces thereof are relatively ineffective for removing and accumulating dirt, water and other foreign matter. Therefore, various devices have been invented which include tread surfaces of material selected for their durability and their ability to remove or retain such foreign matter. For example, the McGeary et al U.S. Pat. No. 3,783,471 shows a foot grill with replaceable carpet strips placed on bars maintained in a parallel, spaced relation by transverse connecting members. Also, a dirt removing grid system for floors is disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,276,728 which shows a plurality of parallel, spaced tread rails with dirt removing upper surfaces and a connecting system for attaching the rails to transverse spacer channels. However, such grills and gratings require substantial pits therebeneath for the accumulation of foreign matter and also require substantial structures which are frequently complex and expensive to span such pits. Further, such grills and gratings are difficult and expensive to add to an existing building not provided with the necessary pit.
Floor mats are also known which are directly supported by a floor surface and may either be placed directly thereon or in a slight recess. However, such floor mats require more frequent cleaning than the previously described grill and grating systems because less space is provided for the accumulation of foreign material. The capacity of such a floor mat to accumulate foreign material is generally limited by the amounts which may be retained in the tread material and in the available space adjacent the rails and in the floor recess. As such spaces fill with dirt, or become saturated with water, the floor mat tends to lose its ability to clean the footwear of pedestrians passing thereover. Therefore, periodic cleaning is necessary to maintain the effectiveness of such floor mats.
To facilitate the cleaning of such floor mats and the surfaces thereunder, they are generally removable. Such removal may frequently be best accomplished by rolling up the floor mat, and roll-up floor mats are well known in the art. Integral, one-piece floor mats of an elastomeric material are relatively economical and may be rolled up for removal. However, the tread surfaces of such floor mats are generally not replaceable and lack the cleaning ability of fibrous materials, such as carpet. Also, such one-piece floor mats lack the strength and durability of those having rigid rails comprising, for example, brass or aluminum.
The Bartlett U.S. Pat. No. 4,029,834 shows a floor mat with rigid rails which are hinged to allow the floor mat to be rolled up. A hinging action between adjacent rails is provided by a ball and socket fastening system at their respective edges to allow transverse pivoting therebetween. However, the connecting system for the rails shown in that patent comprises balls and sockets which are integral with and of the same rigid material as the rails and therefore, do not accomodate relative vertical displacement therebetween for a cushioning effect. Also, fasteners are required to prevent relative shifting between adjacent rails. Further, along one side, a different type of rail is required having a socket configuration along both of its edges to receive a lead-in member, thereby preventing the use of a single, cross-sectional configuration for all the rails in that type of floor mat. Therefore, prior art floor grills, grates and mats have tended to be relatively ineffective for removal of foreign matter, vulnerable to extensive wear, or complex to manufacture, necessitating a relatively high cost to the user.